FAQ: 2020 NBA All-Star Game Format

Jan 31, 2020 12:02 PM ET

Breaking down the changes to the All-Star Game format for 2020.

The NBA has announced a new format for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game designed to increase the level of competition throughout the game, provide additional excitement at the finish and make the outcome of every quarter count for charity. Here is a closer look at what to expect in the 69th NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 16 at the United Center in Chicago (8 p.m. ET, TNT).

> What are the format changes for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game?
The NBA All-Star Game will have two main changes for this year:

Every Quarter Counts for Charity – The All-Star teams will compete to win each quarter for Chicago-based community organizations.

New Game Ending – The fourth quarter will be untimed and the teams will play to a Final Target Score, meaning that the game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of with the clock running out.

> How will the new format work?
Each of the first three quarters will begin with the score of 0-0 and will last 12 minutes. At the start of the fourth quarter, the game clock will be turned off and a Final Target Score will be set.

The Final Target Score will be determined by taking the leading team’s total cumulative score through three quarters and adding 24 points. Once the Final Target Score is set, the teams will play an untimed fourth quarter and the first team to reach the Final Target Score will win the NBA All-Star Game.

> What is an example of how the Final Target Score works?
If the cumulative score of the first three quarters is 100-95, the Final Target Score would be set at 124 points. In this example, here is how the teams would win the NBA All-Star Game:

The team with 100 points would need to score 24 points in the fourth quarter before the team with 95 points scores 29 points.

The team with 95 points would need to score 29 points in the fourth quarter before the team with 100 points scores 24 points.

> How was 24 points chosen to help determine the Final Target Score?
The NBA incorporated 24 points into the calculation of the Final Target Score to honor the late Kobe Bryant, who wore No. 24 for the final 10 seasons of his career.

> What is the charity component for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game?
Each All-Star team will play for a Chicago-based charity beneficiary, as selected by team captains Giannis Antetokonumpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Charitable donations will be awarded as follows:

The community organization selected by the winner of each of the first three quarters will receive $100,000 – a total of $300,000 donated to charity for those three quarters. The winner of each of the first three quarters will be the team with the higher score at the end of the 12-minute quarter.

The winning team in the NBA All-Star Game (i.e., the team that reaches the Final Target Score first) will earn $200,000 for its designated community organization.

If one team wins each of the first three quarters and the NBA All-Star Game, $500,000 will be donated to the winning team’s charity and $100,000 will be donated to the losing team’s charity.

> What happens if at least one of the first three quarters ends in a tie?
If the first or second quarter ends in a tie, the $100,000 charity award for that quarter will be added to the next quarter’s award. If the third quarter ends in a tie, the $100,000 charity award for that quarter will be added to the award of the team that wins the NBA All-Star Game.

> Is the new All-Star Game format just for 2020?
The NBA hasn’t made any decisions regarding the format of future All-Star Games.